Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Top choice blocked for U.N. digital privacy investigator post
Source: Reuters
Internet | Fri Jul 3, 2015 5:21pm EDT
Top choice blocked for U.N. digital privacy investigator post
GENEVA | BY TOM MILES
The Estonian picked as the U.N.'s first digital privacy investigator was blocked on Friday by the German president of the Human Rights Council after activist groups said she would not be a strong enough critic of U.S. surveillance.
Katrin Nyman-Metcalf was the candidate ranked first by a "consultative group" of five ambassadors - from Poland, Chile, Greece, Algeria and chaired by Saudi Arabia. But when it came to approving her appointment, Joachim Ruecker said he was over-ruling their choice and proposing the second-ranked candidate instead, Malta's Joseph Cannataci.
"Concerns were raised as to whether she was the best qualified candidate for this position," Ruecker announced, saying he was reflecting the views of Council members, many observer states and civil society stakeholders.
As the first person in the job, the investigator will be able to set the standard for the digital right to privacy, deciding how far to push governments that want to conduct surveillance for security reasons.
Nyman-Metcalf said Estonia was sometimes seen as pro-American, and Ruecker had told her that civil society groups felt she was not "activist" enough.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Top choice blocked for U.N. digital privacy investigator post
GENEVA | BY TOM MILES
The Estonian picked as the U.N.'s first digital privacy investigator was blocked on Friday by the German president of the Human Rights Council after activist groups said she would not be a strong enough critic of U.S. surveillance.
Katrin Nyman-Metcalf was the candidate ranked first by a "consultative group" of five ambassadors - from Poland, Chile, Greece, Algeria and chaired by Saudi Arabia. But when it came to approving her appointment, Joachim Ruecker said he was over-ruling their choice and proposing the second-ranked candidate instead, Malta's Joseph Cannataci.
"Concerns were raised as to whether she was the best qualified candidate for this position," Ruecker announced, saying he was reflecting the views of Council members, many observer states and civil society stakeholders.
As the first person in the job, the investigator will be able to set the standard for the digital right to privacy, deciding how far to push governments that want to conduct surveillance for security reasons.
Nyman-Metcalf said Estonia was sometimes seen as pro-American, and Ruecker had told her that civil society groups felt she was not "activist" enough.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/03/us-un-surveillance-idUSKCN0PD2BG20150703